peteski

Looking good Wayne! When I was growing up in Poland in the '70s there was a paper model periodical called "Mały Modelarz" or "Junior Modeler". I have built several of those models. I built a helicopter, a destroyer and few others. This brings back some memories.

Awesome modeling!

Others have recommended using a "real" paint stripper (which is correct) but nobody warned you about *NOT* using the purple stuff. The purple degreaser contains Lye which is caustic and will react with the metal. Don't use it on any metal parts! Especially aluminum (which is usually used in the alloy used for die-cast models)..

I disagree Art. At the quantities they buy their bottles (they buy them by the thousands), they are relatively inexpensive. So are the chemicals they pour into the bottles. The most "expensive" part of those cements in little glass bottles is the profit made by the company producing them. Same goes for hobby paints.

If you have an old transformer or electric motor for a slot car or model train, you have plenty of really thin copper (magnet) wire for free. Or even a single strand taken for a stranded copper wire. I doubt Michael's carries 0.005" wire. I kept telling you that bread-tie wire is way too thick.

Another vote for Tamiya tape - pricey but it works really well. It is more pliable and has a smoother adhesive surface than regular masking tapes. Well worth it. If I have large areas to mask, I only use Tamiya tape on the perimeter of the masked area, and regular painter's blue tape to fill the remaining masked areas. As far as the green Frog tape goes (at least the stuff I bought about 10 years ago to try), it is designed to work with water-based latex or acrylic paints (house paints). The edges are treated with special adhesive which is supposed to swell up when exposed to water to create a tight seal on the edge. That is what is supposed to prevent paint from seeping under it. That special adhesive does nothing for the organic-solvent based hobby enamels or lacquers we usually use for model cars. I have never tired the yellow Frog tape so I don't know its special properties. As others mentioned, thoroughly burnishing the edge is important with all tapes. Also do not spray a wet coat of paint right away and don't spray against the tape's edge. Either spray perpendicular to the models surface or even slightly from the masked side.

I'm sure we all get those SPAMs (Phishing and others). I do. This forum is no different than any other forum (like Spotlight Hobbies for example). Actually it is more "secure" as your email address is not easily visible (like it is on Spotlight board). Once your email address gets in the hands of the SPAMMERS, you are a fair target for all. The Phishing emails are not related to whether you shop online or not. They just blindly blanket-email thousands of email addresses hoping some poor sap will fall for the spoof.

It's pretty in pink . . .

So this is basically an exchange of modeling items (kits, parts, supplies, etc.) estimating their worth and trying to do an even swap (value-wise). I have never done that and it sounds like trouble to me (since the price estimate can very from person to person). Unless the specifics were discussed and agreed upon before the swap, I wouldn't even attempt such a transaction. This "I'll take a car body for 2 engine castings" thing just doesn't seem like something I would be interested in doing. But from what John said, he has been happily doing this for some time. However as shown here, eventually one is bound to run into the situation John is in. Sorry to hear about it, but not surprised.

None of us are getting any younger. Every day I wake up and I'm still able to enjoy my hobbies is a great day (regardless of who around me has passed away).

I have also heard that after the part is re-shaped in hot water to quickly put it in cold water to permanently set the new shape.

Ok, so this is a 1:25 steering wheel. The leather wrap on the 1:1 wheel was a a band of (perforated?) leather which was wrapped around the steering wheel then a piece of thin leather "string" was spirally wrapped around the rim and the leather band to make the band conform to the rim and to hold it in place. As I see it, in 1:25 scale any perforations will look out of scale. So will any sort of a wrap added to the rim. What I would recommend it so just simulate the spiral wrapping "string" of the 1:1 wheel. I would use thin wire wrapped around the rim. Something thinner than 0.010". Best would be some thin magnet wire extracted from an old transformer or electric motor. Use thin CA to adhere the wire to the rim. Once done, pain the rim in the color of the leather wrap (which might or might not be different than the rest of the steering wheel). Done!

While leaching might be a problem, how will paint/primer/sealer remain well-adhered to a relatively soft surface of the body?

Absolutely stunning! Harry would have loved it! So how does it feel to have it finished?

True, but when was the last time you've seen a paint stripping recommendation provided in a resin kit?

Looks good! There were few other cars in this series of models. You might want to seek them out and build them.

Thomas, you are doing such a great job on this model it is almost like Harry's spirit is projecting through you. Your modeling reminds me of what Harry did.

WOW!

I'll be curious how it works out. Even at 1/8", that is still over 3 scale inches wide. And the thickness of the wire plus the plastic part of the tie seems way too thick to me. I also think it will be hard to bend that wire around the a 1:25 scale steering wheel rim (which is probably less than 1/16" in diameter). I think that even if you do it, the entire assembly will look too thick and strange. I hope that I'm proven wrong.

Cool! Is that a kit? I don't ever recall seeing that one before.

"dhoy"?

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I can't visualize how a flat plastic coated wire tie could be wrapped around the rim of a 1:24 scale wheel and look like a leather cover. Not only it seems way too thick (and stiff), it will be also way too wide. Those things are usually about 1/4" wide. that would be scale 6.25" wide! Or is the model in question 1:8 scale?

You are probably correct.